Refrigerator



Oct. '21, 1941. r. w. ATCHISON REFRIGERATOR Filed Aug. 30, 1939 I I I I I I l I I I I l Inventor Leonard W. Atchi'sor His Attorney. I

- Patented ctl 21,1941

STATES PATENT. OFFECE 2,259,986 REFRIGERATOR- Leonard W. Atchison, Schenectady; N. Y., asslgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 30.1939, Serial No. 292,652

6 Claims. (01. s2 -11s) My invention relates to refrigerators and more particularly to ventilating arrangements therefor.

' In many cases food or the like is stored in refrigerators for a period of several days, especially in refrigerators designed for domestic use and provided with a refrigerating machine which is capable of maintaining the cooling orfood storage compartment at a sufficiently low tempera- I tore to make such storage feasible. In case foods are stored in a refrigerator of the type described for a relatively .long period of time, it is desirable that some arrangement be made for supplying fresh air to the interior of the cooling compartment in order to carry away any gases given off by the articles andthereby prevent the articles stored therein from becoming odoriferoua Therefore, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved arrangement for ventilating a cooling compartment of a refrigerator.

It is often the case-that the fresh air circulated through the cooling compartment in an arrangement such as described includes an appreciable amount of water vapor. The condensation of this water vapor imposes an added load on the refrigerating machine thereby increasing the power consumption. Further, if the cooling compartment is of the conventional type in -which the food storage compartment is maintained at a relativelylow humidity because of the extraction of water vapor by the evaporator and its deposition on the surface of the evaporator in the form of frost, the water vapor in the ventilating air provides additional vapor to be deposited on the evaporator making it necessary to defrost more often and imposes a still greater load on the refrigerating machine. Accordingly, it is a further object of my invention to provide an improved arrangement for ventilating a cooling compartment of arefrigerator in which the added load imposed by the ventilating medium is held to a minimum.

Further objects and advantages of my inven- .tion will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize myinvention will be pointed.

out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing inwhich Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in tion. a portion of the refrigerator being cut away and Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a detail of my invention.

In accordance with my invention I have provided a refrigerator [0 having a heat-insulated cooling compartment il in which a cooling element or evaporator I2 is located for extracting heat from the cooling compartment H. I have I partment H through an outlet l8 located adjacent the bottom of the compartment H, the circulation of air being maintained by the natural circulation induced by the evaporator H. In order to remove moisture from the ventilating air.

I have arranged the conduit IS in intimate thermal relationship with tube It of the inlet assem-- biy i1. With this arrangement the cold suction gas passing through conduit l6 pre-cools the incoming ventilating air and condenses an appreciable amount of the water vapor contained therein. In the ordinary operation. of a refrigerating mechanism there is a small quantity of lubricant circulated around the refrigerant circuit.- The cold lubricant returning to the compressor from the evaporator constitutes an additional source of energy for promoting the chilling of the in-- coming fresh air and condensing moisture therefrom.

. Describing my-invention in greater detail I have shown a cooling compartment l I defined by an open top rectangular inner liner 20 and an open top sheet metal outer shell 2| separated by heat insulation 22. The bottom wall of the cool ing compartment l I divides the cabinet l0 into a cooling compartment H and amachinery compartment l3. Access is provided to the interior of the cooling compartment H by a rectangular door 23 which is hingedly supported on the outer shell ll. Shelves 24 are supported within the section, of a refrigerator embodying my invencooling compartment H on theinwardly projecting shoulders 25 formed on the inrer liner 20. These shelves are preferably of open-wire construction to prevent restriction of the circulation affair-in the cooling compartment H. The top of the compartment II is closed by a removable top wall which includes a sheet metal top 26 and a top liner 21 in the form of a rectangular sheet of metal separated by heat insulation 28.

A refrigerant circulatory unit It is mounted in the machinery compartment l3 and in the illustrative form of my invention comprises a motor driven compressor unit contained in a hermetically sealed steel casing 29. Gaseous refrigerant is compressed by the motor driven compressor cooled condenser l! which is mounted on the rear wall of the cabinet II. The refrigerant liqward from the evaporator It to the bottom wall of the compartment ll outwardly toward the walls of the compartment -and upwardly along I ment II from the tube ll will circulate downcontained in the casing 28 and passes therefrom .through a conduit 30 to a natural draft airthese walls to the .upper portion of the compartment. The fresh air entering the compartwardly because of the above-described circulation','as indicated by the arrows. Inasmuch as the; ventilating air leaves the tube It in the vicinity of the evaporator II, the air is cooled by the evaporator l2 and tends to move toward the uefled in the condenser." is supplied through a conduit ii to a float valve contained in a casing 32, the casing being supported between the top wall 28 in a depression 33 formed in the bottom of the compartment II and the outlet it due to its increased specific gravity upon being cooled.

rear portion of the sheet or top liner 21. A liquid line 34 connects with the outlet 3! of the iioatvalve casing 82 for supplying liquid'refrigerant to the refrigerant circulatory passages 38 of the evaporator II, the evaporator I! being supported on the'top liner 2'! of the refrigerator cabineltl and extending into thecooling compartment The exhaust conduit ll formed from material having relatively good heat conductivity characteristics, such as copper tubing or the like, communieates with the header-I1. of the evaporator i! above the normal liquid level therein and with the inlet of the compressor contained in the casing 29. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator l2 absorbs heat from the contents of the cooling compartment II and is vaporized thereby. The refrigerant vaporized in the evaporator I2' is returned to the motor driven com-' pressor contained in the casing-2| through the conduit It and the cycle is repeated until the} desired temperature is attained in the cooling compartment ll.

I have provided an arrangement for circulating a restricted quantity of fresh air through the interior of the cooling compartment II in which fresh air is admitted to the compartment ll through a restricted inlet and air is discharged therefrom through a restricted outlet. In therefrigerating machine shown in the drawing, a conduit It made of a material having relatively good heat conductivity characteristics, such as The circulation of ventilating air is assisted to some extent by the natural draft created by the condenser l8. Heat is extracted from the refrigerant during the condensing process in condenser II, this heat causing an air circulation upwardly of the condenser'll, the natural draft thus induced serving to draw air into the front of the evaporator I! to receive the liquid and ice dr0p-' ping from the evaporator during defrosting thereof.

In order to dispose of the condensation accumulating' in the tube II,- I have directed the tube ll downwardly adjacent} the evaporator l2 and inwardly over the edge of chiller tray 4! in order that any condensation in tube ll may be deposited fer, accumulation in the chiller tray II. In order to prevent condensation from flowing toward the inlet I! or standing in the tube N, the

, tube It should-be tilted suiliciently to cause any copper for example, extends from an opening 38 in the inner liner ll into intimate thermal relationship with suction conduit It. A cup-shaped member I! is suitably secured as by welding'in an opening it in the outer liner ll of the cabinet I, the bottom portion-of the member it being provided with an outwardly extending tubular projection 4! having an opening-therein aligned with the opening 88 and tube It. The projection andtube ll areioinedbyatubularele- 'ment 4! of heat insulating material. in order'to prevent transfer of heat between inner and outer II and II, 'respectively,g and the transmisslab ofwater vaporinto the insulation 22. In order-to prevent the. entrance of foreign matter into the interior of the compartment II I have provided a suitable filter or screen 43 in the inlet 4 2 II. The outlet It may be similarly formed. As shown, a relatively short metal tube 44 is shown extending from the insulating conduit 42' but, if

,desired, the heat-insulating conduit 42' could be eitended through the inner liner of the cabinet I Because of the greater density'of cooled air 7 as compared withwarm air,,a natural circulation of air is established within the compartment II by the evaporator if, the circulation being downmating air.

liquid therein to now toward-the inner end thereof.- The vertically extending portion of the tube It ispreferably keptout of contact with header I1 and evaporator It in order to prevent formation of frost on the tube "and to eliminate the possibility blocking the tube It by the formation of ice therein.

Many modifications of the above-described ventilatingarrangement are possible. For example,

it is not mlential "lit the tube I! beextended the evaporator II as shown in Fig. 1. It is only-neeeesarythat tube It be extended a sum- ]eisnt distance to' provide sumcient thermal enmoment with conduit II to accomplish the necevery condensation of water vapor as illustrated in Fig.2. ,The removal of condensation may be accomplished in many ways. For exam- 7 pie, afdrain may. lie-provided extending from the inner end of tube ll through the compartment II and outlet II to a suitable receptacle located in the machinery compartment I3. If a tube I! having the general shape'shown in Fig. 1 is emplored. openings may be provided in the vertical portion thereof to permit discharge of incoming air near h upp r portion of the evaporator,

, I y increasing the cooling eifect on the ven- While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention in connection with a refrigerating machine of the compression type,.I do not desire my invention to be limited to the particaasaeee ular construction shown and described and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications withinthe spirit and scope of my invention. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A refrigerator provided with a heat-insulated cooling compartment,- a closed refrigerating system including a refrigerant evaporator located in said coolingcompartment for abstracting heat therefrom, a refrigerant circulating unit located outside of said cooling compartment and means communicating betweenthe upper portion of said refrigerant evaporator and said refrigerant circulating unit for conducting gaseous refrigerant from said evaporator to said circulating unit, means for admitting fresh air to said cooling compartment, said communicating means being arranged and constructed for conducting said gaseous refrigerant into heat exchange relationship with said air, thereby utilizing gaseous refrigerant in said communicating means for pre -cooling said air in order toremove moisture therefrom.

2. A refrigerator provided with a heat-insulated cooling compartment, a refrigerating system including a refrigerant evaporator located in said cooling compartment, a refrigerantcirculating unit located exteriorly of ,said compartment and a conduit connecting said refrigerant said cooling compartment having an air inlet in a wall of said compartment, and means for conveyingfresh air from said inlet into heat, exchange relationship with said conduit' for removing moisture from. said fresh air.

3. A refrigerator provided with a heat-insulated cooling compartment, a refrigerating system including a refrigerant evaporator located in said cooling compartment, a refrigerant circulating unit located exteriorly of saidcom-- partment and a conduit connecting said refrigerant evaporator and said refrigerant circulating unit, said cooling compartment having an air inlet in a wall of said compartment, a portion of said conduit and a portion of said inlet having relatively good heat-conductive characteristics, said portions being arranged in intimate thermal relationship, whereby the gasevaporator and said refrigerant circulating unit,

lated cooling compartment, a refrigerant evaporator located in the upper portion of the cooling compartment for abstracting heat therefrom, a 1

refrigerant circulating unit located outside of said cooling compartment. a conduit connecting said evaporator and said circulating unit for conveying gaseous refrigerant from said evaporator to said circulating unit, said cooling compartment having an air inlet arranged adjacent the top of said cooling compartment, said cooling compartment also having an air outletlocated adjacent the bottom thereof whereby the natural circulation caused by the refrigerant evaporator induces a circulation of fresh air within said cooling compartment from said inlet toward said outlet, and means for conveying said fresh air from said inlet into heat exchange relationship with said gaseous refrigerant for removing moisture from said fresh air.

-5. A refrigerator provided with a heat-insulated cooling compartment, a refrigerant evaporator arranged in the upper portion of said cooling compartment, a refrigerant circulating unit located outside of said cooling compartment, a conduit connecting said refrigerant evaporator and said refrigerant circulating unit for conveying gaseous refrigerant from said evaporator to said circulating unit, means for admitting fresh airto said cooling compartment, said conduit'being constructed and arranged in heat exchange relation withsaid incoming air to pre-cool said air for removing moisture therefrom, and receptacle means for accumulating said moisture.

6. A refrigerator provided with a heat-insulated cooling compartment, a closed refrigerant system including a refrigerant evaporator 10- cated in saidcooling compartment, a refrigerant circulating unit located ,exteriorly of said cooling compartment and a conduit extending between said evaporator and said circulating unit for conducting gaseous refrigerant from said evaporator to said circulating unit, said cooling com- I partment having an air inlet and an air outletbeneath said evaporator, said conveying means being extended to deposit said moisture in said receptacle.

. LEONARD w. s'rcmson. 

